Conversion of hydrocarbon oils



Patented Jan. 21, 1941 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBON OILS Charles L. Thomas and Jacob E. Ahlberg, chi cago, IlL, assignors to Universal Oil Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation oi Delaware No Drawing.

Application November 26, 1937,

Serial No. 176,648.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our earlier application serial No. 132,092, filed March 20, 1937. In a more specific sense the invention is con- 10 cerned with a modification of hydrocarbon oil conversion processes involving the use of particular and specific types of catalysts which function to selectively promote the formation of low boiling gasoline fractions.

15 The art of cracking relatively heavy hydrocarbons to produce primarily gasoline or gas is very extensive and it is recognized that most of the basic principles of hydrocarbon decomposition are known and that particular commercial processes 80 have been developed which embody these principles. The application of catalysts, however, in cracking reactions is practically upon the same basis as it is in other fields, that-is, there is much more to be learned about them. A considerable number of the catalysts developed for cracking have a tendency to accelerate reactions leading to the formation of gas rather than of gasoline, this being particularly evidenced by reduced metal catalysts such as nickel or iron and many of such catalysts are sensitive to sulfur poisoning and are quickly coated with carbonaceous materials which render them practically inert. This deposition of -carbonaceous materials is many times 'related to the type of decomposition reactions 35 selectively fostered by the catalyst.

The present invention is concerned with the tillate fractions of petroleum and other hydroa.

In one specific embodiment the present invention comprises'a method for converting hydrocarbon distillarte fractions containing substantially no gasoline into material yields of gasoline and gases containing relatively high percentages of polymerizable olefins by subjecting the-vapors of such distillates at elevated temperatures and substantially atmospheric pressure to contact with granular silica-alumina catalysts prepared I by special methods of precipitation and/or mixing and further treated by special washes to remove substantially all alkali metal ions and calcined at elevated temperatures to produce highly refractory alumina-silica particles which are able to withstand for long periods of time the alternate service and reactivation periods.

We have found that'the'alumina-silica catalysts whose'us characterizes the present cracking process and which may be prepared by several alternate methods described in more detail in succeeding paragraphs are rendered much more active and selective in accelerating gasoline-forming reactions in cracking when the orig-' inally precipitatedhydrated alumina and hydrated silica which go to form the primary composites in various proportions are completely freed from alkali metal ions which in most instances will be'sodium ions because the sodium salts of silicic acids are cheapest and most readily avaflable for the manufacture of this type of catalyst. The primary step in the method of preparing the catalysts whose use in cracking characterizes the present invention may be varied somewhat and the following is a general summary of the alternative modes of operation which may be employed:

1. Solutions of soluble alkali metal silicates and .soluble aluminum salts, the latter including portions to jointly precipitate hydrated alumina and hydrated silica.

2. Hydrated silica and hydrated alumina may be separately precipitated and the precipitates mixed in the wet condition. In thecase of silica a convenient method is to acidity a solution of an alkali metal silicate to precipitate a silica gel. In the case of alumina the desired hydroxide may be precipitated by the addition of alkalis particularly ammonium hydroxide although other precipitants such as ammonium carbonate, ammonium hydrosulflde or ammonium sulfide may be employed. f 3. A separately precipitated hydrated silica may be added to an aqueous solution of an aluminum salt and the hydrated alumina precipisoiublealuminates, may be mixed in varying proof obtaining a primary mix of hydrated silica and hydrated alumina may beemployed within the scope of the invention although obviously the character and efilcipcy of the ultimately prepared alumina-silica masses will vary somewhat with the exact conditions of precipitation and the ratio of alumina to silica. For example, one proportion may furnish catalysts better for use in reforming a certain gasoline boiling range material, another may be better. for use in the cracking of a gas-oil distillate and still another may be better adapted to cracking stiil heavier fractions.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the fact that cracking operations, particularly in the case of petroleum distillates, may be conducted with greatly increased efilciency when silica-alumina catalysts are employed which have been subjected to treatment to eflect substantially complete removal of alkali metal ions from theprimary hydrated alumina-silica masses prior to their calcining to prepare them for service. It is not known whether the alkali metal salts such as sodium are present in'the primary hydrated composites in chemical combination or in an adsorbed state but it has been definitely determined that their removal is necessary if mary composites during the drying period so that the porosity of the catalyst particles is much reduced with a corresponding reduction in effective surface, considering the catalytic effects to be dueat least in part to surface action. However. such concepts are principally speculations in view of the dimculty of obtaining direct confirmatory evidence.

In preparing the catalyst for the process several alternative methods are available applicable to difierent primary hydrated silica-hydrated alumina composites to insure the substantially complete absence of sodium or other alkali metal ions. One method consists in washing the primary hydrated silica with sumcient quantities of hydrochloric acid to extract alkali metal by the formation of chlorides and possibly introduce hydrogen into the catalyst composites. Thus a precipitated hydrated silica mass may be first washed by decantation with water and filtered by pressure or suction to remove the major portion of the soluble impurities. The precipitate is then removed from the filter and treated with relatively dilute hydrochloric acid, washed any necessary number of times and again transferred to a pressure or suction filter and freed from the major portion of the adhering water. As an alternative method for removal of alkali metals which may be present in the chemically combined or adsorbed condition, the precipitated silica may be washed with solutions of ammonium chloride which apparently serves to replace sodium with ammonium, which is later volatilized in the drying and calcining of the silica either plum chloride.

before or after admixture with the alumina. The

desired amount of hydrated alumina may be precipitated on the siliceous material or freshly precipitated hydrated alumina may be added and mechanically mixed therewith. 5

Another method which has been found to be efiicacious in the preparation of cracking catalysts consists in washing the primary hydrated silica-hydrated alumina precipitates or composites with solutions. of ammonium compounds such as, for example, the chloride or other halides, the sulfate, the nitrate, or the acetate, so that the ammonium ion appears as a constituent of the catalyst composite and is later expelled from combination or adsorption in the calcining steps, leavic ing a structure of relatively high porosity in so doing. As a variation of this method, the coprecipitation or mixing of the primaryhydrated silica and alumina may be brought about in the presence of ammonium hydroxide or any of the 2( other salts of ammonium already mentioned in sufiicient excess to insure an adequate removal of the alkali metal ion. In the case of co-pre'cipi-- tation it has been found that the necessary excess of ammonia is present at thepoint corresponding 2:

to asufiicient coagulation of the gel structure of the primary precipitates to permit ready filtering and washing. In other words if sumcient ammonia has been used to insure easy washing and filtering the alkalimetal salts have been gener- 8i ally reduced to a point at which they no longer have any appreciable adverse influence on the catalyst properties.

The weight of evidence at hand on the mechanism leading to the replacement of alkali metals It in the primary hydrated silica precipitates or the silica-alumina masses indicates that the alkali -metals are held by adsorption rather than by chemical bonds. This is indicated by the fact that the alkali metal ions are replaceable by 4 ammonium or multivalent positive ions which are known in general to be more strongly adsorbed than alkali'metal ions. This differentiates this replacement from that occurring in the case of zeolites. 4

metals which can replace the sodium in a similar 5 manner to that described in the case of ammo- For example, a primary composite containing undesirably large amounts of alkali metal even after repeated .water washing may be again suspended in water and treated with a solution of salts of such metals as aluminum, magnesium, calcium, manganese, cerium,

or other multivalent metals in which the metal forms the positive ion of the salt being used. 0ba viously such replacements may be allowed to proceedonly to the equivalent replacement of the alkali metalion by these metals or further action may be permitted to proceed with consequent variation in the properties of the final cat- 5 alyst. This method of operation permits the production of catalysts of a high degree of variability which are obviously non-equivalent in regard to their effect upon a given cracking reaction.

After a final washing of the hydrated alumina- 7 aaa'asss of a convenient average diameter or formed into any desired shapes by compression methods: It has been found that the drying at 300 F. produces material having a total water content of about 15% by weight which as already stated apparently corresponds to the best workability cedure evidently possess a large total contact surface corresponding to a high porosity, the pores being of such size that hydrocarbon oil vapors are able to penetrate. to a considerable distance and yet not so small that when the pores become clogged with carbonaceous deposits after. a long period of service, theyare difficult to reactivate'by oxidation. This structure is also retained after many alternate periods of use and reactivation as evidenced by the fact that the catalysts maybe repeatedly reactivated by passing air over the spent particles to burn off deposits of carbonaceous material at temperatures as high as 1400-1600" F. without material loss of catalytic activity.

According to the present process catalysts prepared by the general procedure described in the preceding paragraphs are utilized to the best ad-. vantage in 'cracking reactions when employed as filling material in tubes or chambers in the form of small pellets or granules. In the majority of cases wherein hydrocarbon fractions readily vaporizable at moderate temperatures without extensive decomposition are employed, the average particle size is within the range oi 6-10 mesh, which may apply either to small pellets of uniform size and short cylindrical shape or to particles oi. irregular size and shape produced by the grinding and sizing of the partially dehydrated materials. While the simple method of preheating a given fraction oi hydrocarbon oil vapors to a temperature suitable for their cracking in contact with the catalysts and then passing the va-' pors over a stationary mass of catalystparticles may be employed in some cases, it is usually preferable to pass the preheated vapors through ,banks of relatively small diameter catalyst-containing tubes in multiple connection between headers, since this arrangement of apparatus is better adapted to permit exterior heating of the catalyst tubes to compensate for the heat loss in the endothermic cracking reactions;

After the passage of the oil vapors over the catalyst, therp'roducts may be separated into material unsuitable for further cracking, interme- 'diateinsufllciently oonvertedfractions amenable to further catalytic cracking, gasoline boiling range materials and gases, the intermediate i fractions being returned directly to admixture with the charging stock so that ultimatelythere .is complete recycling of all fractions and-maxi:

mum utilization of t charging stock-Yugo; eiproduction.

The present process "besides being characterized by the tisepf novel catalysts is further v characterized the'Quse of moderate tempers-sa at a liquid space velocity of approximately 4 per' tures,--relatively low'pilessures and high through; puts -in comparison. with strictly thermal cracking processes in use at the present time. when dealing with intermediate distillate fractions of the character of gas oil, it is seldom necessary to employ temperatures greatly inexcess of 950 F. in the catalytic conversion zone. In the mat-' ter of pressure, it is seldom desirable to employ those materially above atmospheric except insofar as this is necessary to insure a proper flow through the vaporizing and cracking zones and the succeeding fractionating equipment. However, since pressure increases the capacity of both cracking and fractionating units, moderately superatmospheric pressures may be employed when their use is dictated by the overall economy of the process. The times of catalytic contact are relatively short and of the order of 1-10 seconds.-

The'iollowing examples of preparation and use :of the types of catalysts peculiar to the present invention are given to indicate their novelty and utility in practical cracking processes although not for the purpose of limiting the invention in exact agreement with the. data introduced.

EXAMPLE I- In this example the method of catalyst preparation was generally to add a precipitate of aluminum hydroxide to a silica sol, the aluminum hydroxide having been freshly prepared by adding a solution of ammonia and sodium aluminate to aluminum chloride and the sol having been prepared by acidifying a solution of sodium silicate. The details of this procedure are given in the following paragraph. I

A water solution of ammonium hydroxide and sodium aluminate was prepared by adding 174- (nazsimsmoi 1 in 2 liters water to 750 cc. concentrated hydrochloric acid (sp. gr. 1.19) containedin 750 cc. water. The precipitate which formed, when the aluminate was added to the sol, did not become permanent until about half of the aluminate had been added. The mass was filtered and the filtrate had a pile! 8.2. The filter cake-was stirred into a slurry in 2 liters of water and flltered, this'last operation being performed 10 times. -Filtration proceeded rapidly during the first few washes but became slower during the last washes. The filtered material was dried at 240 F., pressed into 6 to 10 mesh granules, and finally calcined at 932 F.

molal ratio of 5.25:1. The proportions of reactants-employed in the precipitation and mixing was such that there was a good excess of ammonium chloride and .a correspondingly easy filtration. Using granules or 6 to 10 mesh in a catalyst chamber, a parafflnic gas oil from the Pennsylvania field was preheated to a tempera- The above procedure produced a substantially pure silica-alumina catalyst with an approximate ture of 932 F. and passed through the catalyst hour. The following tabulation includes the important data obtained froifii the run.

Data on cracking experiments Run 31 Run 32 Tom rature average at center of catalyst bed, F. 905 910 Gaso ins 400 F. E. P.:

Volume percent 28. 1 27. 1 Weight percent 25. 3 23. 3 A. P. 1. @60 F 61.7 61.8 Octane number, motor method. 75. 3 75. 4 Engler distillation:

I.B.P.F 96 85 1 F 121 121 g F 146 148 F 178 177 509 12. 2% use 33% r 301 301 Fr. s57 356 E. P. F 401 399 Gases (boiling range below +10 0.):

Weight percent (total) 6. 9 5. 7 Molecular weight 36. 9 33:0 Propane and butenes weight percent of charge. 4. 2 3. 7 Gas oil recovered (recycle stock):

Volume percent 65. 9 71. 2 Weight percent" 55. 9 71. I. 39. 2 39. 6

' Exurrns II v The method of preparing the catalyst in this case was to add hydrochloric acid to. an aqueous solution of sodium silicate to form a sol, then adding aluminum chloride solution and finally the required excess. of ammonium hydroxide to produce a precipitate. The details of the preporation of this catalyst were as follows:

438 grams 40 B. water glass dissolved in 3 liters water was added slowly to 400 cc. concentrated hydrochloric acid, an. gr.-1.19, contained in 3 liters water. No precipitate resulted and the solution was acid. After one half hour 182 grams aluminum chloride hexahydrate (AlCl:.6Ha0) dissolved in 1 liter water was; dad to the above, still with no precipitation. ter an additional 20 minutes 208 cc. concentrated ammonia in 490 cc. water was added, making the mixture basic to red litmus. The resultant precipitate was filtered and the filter cake stirred into a slurryin 2liters of water and filtered, this last operation bein performed times. The washes filtered rapidly for the first few times but slowly during the final washes. The filter cake was dried at 340' I" "pressed into 6-10 mesh granules and calcined at 932 F. This method of preparation gave finally Data on. cracking experiments Banal nuns:

. 'lem rature average at center of mtalyst bed, i

Guolineiwl. E.P.:' I 39.4 29.5 4 M4 61.3 61.8 M 730 75.7 91 as 144 .136 111 no 229' 243 395 'm 356. 356 402 400 a catalyst in which the ratio of silica to alumina wassubs'tantially 6:1.v The following tabulation again gives the results obtained in the once through cracking of the same parailinic gas oil as was used in Example 1.

Exsrmxm The procedure in this instance consisted in adding an aqueous solution of sodium silicate to a solution of aluminum chloride to form a hydrated almnina-silicaprecipitate and later adding sumcient ammonia to insure complete precipitation in the presence of an excess of ammonium chloride. The details or the operation were as follows:

A solution consisting of 284.2'grams of sodium silicate hydrate (NasSiOmDHrO) in 1.333 liters of water was added slowly with stirring to 482.88 grams of aluminum chloride hexahydrate (A1Ch.6H:O) I dissolved in 1.333 liters of .water. To the resulting mixture 333 cc. of concentrated ammonium hydroxide solution (sp. gr. 0.90) was added. 2.333 liters of water were then added and the mixture allowed to stand at room temperature for 18 hours. The mass was then filtered,

' and the filter cake was removed, stirred into a slurry with a solution containing 13.38 grams ammonium chloride and 2.5 cc. concentrated ammonium hydroxideper liter after which the slurry was again filtered, this operation being per-' formed 7 times. The filter cake was then stirred into a slurry in 2 liters of the ammonium 11ydroxide ammonium chloride solution, this last operation being performed 8 times. The mass was dried, formed under pressure into 6-10 mesh granules and finally dried at 932 F., this procedure producing ultimately catalysts in which the ratio of silica to alumina was substantially 1:1. The results obtained in cracking parafiinic gas oil with this catalyst are given below:

Data on cracking experiments 7 tm'e average at center oi catalyst bed, F 400 F. E. P.:

' can sense isess sass The method of catalyst preparation in this case consisted ammonium hydroxide solution to aqueous sodium silicate and thenadding this solution ,to a solution of aluminum chloride to-iorrn the required 9 pitate.. The details of this procedure'were as to ows:

r 333 cc. concentrated ammonium hydroxide solution -('sp.* gr. 0.90) was added to 2842 grams .sodium silicate (NasSiOaBHzO) in 1333 ccuwa-j 'ter. This mixed solution was then added to 482.86 grams aluminum chloride hexahydrate (mcnsmo) in 133 cc. water after jwhich.2333

water was added. The mixture was allowed to stand 48 hours after which it was filtered. The filter cake was stirred into a slurry in 2 liters water and filtered, this last operation'being performed. times. The catalyst mass was. dried at 240' 1".,' pressed into 3-10 granules and finally calcined at 932 F. The catalyst prepared by this procedure consisted of a silica-alumina mass in which the ratio of the oxides was ap-.

Data on cracking experiments Run #1 Run #2 Temperature average at center of catalyst bed, 11 895 895 Gasoline 400 F. E. P.:

' 28. 4 28. 7 25. 2 25. 5 61. 2 61. 0 77. 4 77. 2 as a 120 118 142 140 29s are cass'mmniiifit'ttifi'fid 63'- Weight percent 7. 0 5. ligglmu 3 "flit "E'l'lf peneen u nes we g percen o c e. Ga oil recovered, recycle stock: mg

Volume percent 67. 0 68. Weight percent "a 07. 2 68. I. 60 F 38.9 38.

- EXAMPLE V The manufacture of the catalyst in this case is an example of the use of 'a metal salt to replace sodium ions present in a primary precipitate which in the present; instance is also one having a relatively high silica-alumina ratio. The general procedure, the details of which are given below, was to add asolution of aluminum chloride to a solution of sodium silicate in a relatively large volume of water, add hydrochloric 40 acid to acidity and then a further quantity of aluminum chloridesolution. Procedure: 10.24 grams aluminum chloride hexahydrate (AlCl3.6 I-I20) in 500 cc. water was added to- 568.4 grams sodium silicate (NazSiO .9H2O) in 3000 cc; water. A precipitate was formed, 297 cc. concentrated hydro- 'chlorlc acid solution (sp. gr. 1.19) was then added which made the mixture slightly butdeflnitely acidic to blue litmus. Then 40.24 grams aluminum chloride hexahydrate (A1C13.6H20) in 500 cc. water was added to the mixture. After'standing at room temperature for fifteen hours the mixture was filtered. The filter cake was stirred into a-slurryin two liters of water and filtered. This last operation was performed fliteen times. The filter cake was dried at 300 F. and pressed .into 6-10 mesh granules. After calcining at 932 F. the weight "was 93.0 grams (volume 155 cc. apparent density 0.600). The mole] ratio of silica to alumina in the catalyst granules as so finally prepared was approximately 24:1.

The paramnic gas oil .used in the preceding examples was passed through the catalyst prepared as above at a temperature of about 900 F. and substantially atmospheric pressure topro- 7c The following comparative data-are introduced to show the results'obtained with a-silica-alumina catalyst which was prepared by the primary coprecipitation of hydrated silica and hydrated alumina from aqueous solution without, observing {le -proper precautions as to the washing of the preduce a once .through yield of approximately 31% cipitate to remove alkali metal ions. The-cata lyst was prepared by treating a commercial 40 B. water glass solution (approximating Na2O:3.3SiO2) with a sufficient quantity 01' aluminum chloride solution to react with all the-sodium oi the water glass to form sodium chloride.. The precipitate was washed with water until the wash water was free of cations, then dried and calcined. The- 10 final silica-alumina ratio was 10:1 which is within the range for producing good cracking catalysts when observing the proper precautions about the removing of alkali metal ions. In the following table the data obtained in the cracking u of parafllnic gas oil are given.

Data. on cracking experiments Run #1 Run I2 Av. temp. at center of catalyst bed, "F 015 016 Gasoline, 400 F. end point: Vol. percent 18.9 12 0 Wt. percent 17. 1 11 7 v A. P. 1. gr. F 67.7 66 3 Octane num motor method 71 72 Engler distillation of gasoline: 25

I. B. P .95 108 10 percent- 154 176 20 percent- 193 2 30 percent 226 244 40 pm'mnf 252 288 50 pet 274 289 70 percent 296 323 30 90 grcent 317 800 E. 400 400 Gas boiling below +l0 0.:

Weight percent 1. 0 2.0 Molecular weight- 32. 8 30 1 Propene-l-butenes... 1. 2 1. 2 Gas 011 recovered, recycle stoc 5 Vol. percent 80.0 as s 3 Wt. mmnt 80. 0 85 3 A. P. I. gravity 40.0 40 6 After one reactivation.

The above data shows that when no special 40 care was. taken to remove sodium; ions that .the gasoline yields were markedly lower, that the octane number of the gasoline produced was lower and that there was considerable loss in catalytic activity after reactivation which supports 45 the previously stated hypothesis that the presence of alkali metal ions in the composites tends to cause afluxing action which spoils the cat.- alyst structure. 1

The novelty and utility of the present 'inven- 50 tion are evident from -a consideration of the foregoing descriptive and numerical sections respectively although neither is intended to impose undue limitations upon its proper scope.

We claim as our invention:

1. A process for converting hydrocarbon distillates heavier than gasoline into substantial yfeldsoi gasoline which comprises subtecting said distillate under cracking. conditions to contact with a catalyst produced by separately precipio tion, and, drying to remove a major portion of the total water content. i .2. A process. for converting hydrocarbon dis-" tillates heavier than gasoline into substantial yields of gasoline" which comprises -.subjecting r said distillate under cracking conditions to contact witha catalyst free of alkali metal and-pro.- ,duced by concurrently precipitating hydrated aluminum oxide and hydrated silicon dioxide by the inter-action of a soluble aluminum. :com-

pound and an alkali metal silicate in an aque- 15' ous menstruum, adding a suiiicient quantity oil an ammonium compound to replace combined or adsorbed alkali metals present in the precipitate with ammonium, filtering and washing the precipitated material to substantially complete removal of soluble substances, and heating the washed precipitate to remove the major portion of the total water content. v

3. A process for converting hydrocarbon distillates heavier than gasoline into substantial yields of gasoline which comprises subjecting said dlstillates under cracking conditions to contact with a catalyst free of alkali metal and produced by separately precipitating hydrated aluminum oxide and hydrated silicon dioxide containing alkali metal, mixing said separately produced precipitates in a wet condition, adding a sufilcient quantity of an ammonium compound to replace combined or adsorbed alkali metals present in the precipitate with ammonium, filtering and washing the precipitated material to substantially complete removal of soluble substances and heating the washedv precipitate to remove the major portion of its total water content.

4. A process for converting hydrocarbon distillates heavier than gasoline into substantial yields oi gasoline which comprises subjecting said dlstillates under cracking conditions to contact with a catalyst tree of alkali metal and produced by separately precipitating hydrated aluminum oxide and hydrated silicon dioxide, mixing said separately produced precipitates in a wet condition, adding a sufilcient quantity of a solution of an aluminum salt to replace combined .or adsorbed alkali metals present in the precipitate with aluminum, filtering and washing the precipitated material to substantially complete removal of soluble substances and heating the washed precipitate to remove the major portion of its total water content.

5. A process for converting hydrocarbon distillates' heavier than gasoline into substantial yields of gasoline which comprises subjecting said distillates under cracking conditions to contact with a catalyst tree of alkali metal and pro- K duced-vby separately precipitating hydrated aluminum oxide and hydrated silicon dioxide, adding a sufilcient quantity of a solution of an aluminum salt to a suspension or the hydrated silicon dioxide to replace combined or adsorbed alkali metals with-aluminum, mixing said separatelyproduced precipitates in a wet condition, filtering and washing the precipitated material to substantially complete removal oi soluble substances and heating the washed precipitate toremove the major portion oi its total water coni tent.

6. A process ior 'converting hydrocarbondistillates heavier than gasoline into substantial yields 'of gasoline which-comprises subjecting said 'distillates under cracking conditions to contact with a catalyst tree of alkali metal and produced by separately precipitating-hydrated aluminum oxide and hydrated silicon dioxide, treating said hydratedsilicon dioxide with a miners acid followed by washing with water to remove combined or adsorbed alkali "metals... mixing said separately produced precipitates in.a wet cough-- tion, filtering and r-washing the precipitated material to substantially. complete removal of soluble substances and heating thewashed preclpitate'to remove the major portion of its total water content. 7. A process for converting hydrocarbon disalkali metal silicate solution, mixing said separately produced precipitates in a wet condition, adding a sumcient quantity of an ammonium compound to replace combined or adsorbed alkali Y metals present in the precipitate with ammonium, filtering and washing the precipitated ma terial to substantially complete removal of solu-- ble substances and heating the washed precipitate to remove the major portion of the total water content.

8. A conversion process which comprises subject ing hydrocarbon oil to cracking conditions in the presence or a calcined mixture of separately precipitated alumina hydrogel and silica hydrogel, said hydrogels having been combined in un-, dried condition prior to the calcination and, said mixture being substantially iree oi alkali metal.

9. A process for producing gasoline from hydrocarbon distillates heavier than gasoline which comprises subjecting the distillate in vapor phase to cracking conditions in the presence of a calcined mixture of separately precipitated alumina hydrogel and silica hydrogel, said 'hydrogels hav-' ing been combined in undried condition prior to the calcination and said mixture being substantially tree of alkali metal.

. 10. A process for converting hydrocarbon distillates heavier than gasoline into. substantial yields of gasoline which comprises subjecting said distillate under cracking conditions to contact with a catalyst produced by precipitating hydrated aluminum oxide from an aqueous solution of a soluble aluminum compound, separately precipitating hydrated silicon dioxide from an aqueous solution of an alkali metal silicate, combining the precipitates in undried condition and removing from the hydrated silicon dioxide alkali metal ions present therein as a result or its precipitation from the alkali metal silicate solution, and calcining the commingled precipitates.

11.- A conversion process which comprises contacting normally liquid hydrocarbon oil under cracking conditions with a catalyst produced by precipitating hydrated silicon dioxide containing alkali metal, precipitating hydrated aluminum oxide, treating resultant precipitated material, containing said alkali metal, with an aqueous solution 01 a compound having a cation capable of replacing alkali metal ions and combining the precipitated aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide in undried condition, and drying the mixture to removev the major portion oi its water content.

12. The process as defined "in claim 11 further characterized in that the hydrated aluminum oxide is substantially tree of alkali metal and the hydrated silicon dioxide is treated with said solution prior to combining it with the hydrated 55 aluminum oxide, the latter being precipitated in the presence of the hydrated silicon dioxide.

13. The process as defined in claim 11 further characterized in that the aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide are lac-precipitated and the adeach other. I is lchnracterizedinthattheailieahy m lisprecipltated prior to the alumina, hydrocel end the latter thereafter precipitated in the presence of the-silica hy r lel.

17. 'rheprocess as defined in claim 8 further characterized in that the dual hydmel i2 precipitartedpriortotheahunina ydrocelsndlupended in an aqueoustaluminum salt soluticn.-

the alumina. hydrozel being-combined with the silica hydrogel by precipitatiuthc same from 1 said solution in the presence of the silica hidroceh- CHARLES L. 'I'HQMAB.

JACOB E. 

